Covid-19 situation in Brazil critical and may worsen in winter – Fiocruz

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The Covid-19 pandemic situation in Brazil remains critical and may worsen in the coming weeks with the onset of winter, the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz) said in a report published on Thursday, June 17, as the country nears the 500,000 deaths mark from the disease.

According to the institution, in epidemiological weeks 22 and 23, which cover the May 30 to June 12 period, coronavirus transmission in the country remained at a high plateau, with a small increase in incidence rates (new cases) and mortality.

Current Covid-19 intensive care unit (ICU) bed occupancy rates show that the overall picture is still very worrisome, as 18 states and the Federal District post rates of at least 80%, and in 8 of them the index exceeds the 90% mark, according to Fiocruz researchers.

Still according to the analysis, the pandemic rejuvenation in the country has been maintained. In the 22nd epidemiological week, the average age of hospitalized patients was 52.5 years, while in the first epidemiological week of 2021 it stood at 62.3.

“The current rejuvenation scenario will possibly continue and may lead to high deaths until this age group is adequately covered by the vaccine. The transmission pattern of Sars-CoV-2 in the country is still extremely critical,” the researchers said.

They reiterated the need for masks and physical and social distancing whenever possible, saying that this is the only way to contain the spread of the virus while the country does not progress in vaccination coverage of younger age groups.

Brazil will, in a few days, become the second country, after the United States, to reach the 500,000 deaths mark from Covid-19. According to figures published Thursday by the Ministry of Health, 496,004 deaths and 17,702,630 cases of the disease have been reported to date.

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